
It’s no secret that cyber security has taken center stage during the past year, starting with the Target breach and snowballing to include other big name retailers. With the holiday shopping season in full swing, it’s critical that we pay close attention to security best practices to safeguard against the wandering hands of cyber criminals.
As we close the last chapter of 2014 and look ahead to the New Year, what’s in store for cyber security in 2015?
Reshaping the Face of Malware.
As new threats emerge daily and malware seems to multiply faster than we can keep up, cyber security has become a real concern that is certainly turning heads.
Even recently, as with the case of Regin malware which laid dormant for years before being detected, threats are becoming more intelligent and difficult to prevent. The greatest concern within the cyber security space is the emergence of new methods with multi-stage and multi-device infection steps, including mobile devices and appliances.
Improved Technology Means More Opportunity for Breaches.
We’re seeing new technology emerge daily, which creates an even greater window of opportunity for cyber thieves to compromise end user data. Back in the day, when technology was simple, the cyber landscape was on a much smaller scale for hackers. Although these new technologies are helping to streamline our lives, making day-to-day tasks easier and more efficient, cyber criminals are having a field day with hundreds of new opportunities to successfully carry out a breach. Even the smallest or most overlooked household devices are platforms for cyber thieves to welcome themselves into a network.
The Target Moves.
While the headlines have touted breaches affecting big name retailers this year, protection must be a top priority for businesses and individuals alike. So, who’s purchasing and using the high-cost products on the market? The large enterprises with the budgets to protect themselves.
Because the nearly 70 million SMBs don’t have the multi-million dollar budgets to arm themselves against growing security threats, we anticipate that 2015 will be the year that cyber criminals shift gears and home in on SMBs. This could result in an even higher volume of breaches, as many small businesses are not adequately protected. The delta between protection of SMBs and large enterprises has grown tremendously as a result of cost and complexity.
As we move towards 2015, cyber protection has never been more critical. The aftermath of a data breach can close a business within a matter of months, so the time to raise cyber security to the top of the priority list is now!
Disclaimer: This article was written by a guest contributor in his/her personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of CloudWedge.com